I16: Super-Sidekicking Explained
By
a tame rabbit,
Posted on: 2009-08-12 10:06 in Developers' Corner
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The difficulty change does make PLing Easier! They are never going to stop it anyway, so might as well make it less annoying. |
Originally Posted by Gr33n
hate to say it.... but this makes PLing easier.....
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The no bridging stuff makes PLing much harder. I have not played as much lately, but you can make AE missions now that auto-SK all lowbies up to lvl 46 anyway. So I dont think bridging was much of a problem anymore, but this cuts down on that kind of AE farming.
Note: I have two accounts and sometimes PL myself. This will make that somewhat easier and somewhat less rewarding at the same time. I have no problem with it. Glad to have it.
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It does sound that way. However, if you've gone through the mission and spawned everything and then bring in a helper, then you're now twice as powerful as before and have a much better chance at clearing the mission. |
Originally Posted by random_person
also, sometimes you get an annoying mish youre tryin to finish real quick and grab a lvl 50 to finish it for you. it sounds like this new super sk feature gets rid of that.
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Also, you can bring in several people and multiply the force.
Also, if you're asking someone a higher level than you to help, they'll always get xp from it (unless they're 50). I know the times I've helped someone I've said to myself, "Great. No xp from doing this."
Also, you can ask more than one lowbie to help you and they'll all be SK'd to you and be able to help, thus greatly increasing the pool of possible helpers for a stuck mission.
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With the Rikti War Zone being open to low level people, will you consider making Levantera's first arc available from level 1 as well, so lowbies can get Member of Vanguard and unlock the Vanguard costume pieces early?
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Looks like it's going to auto SK to mission holder's actual level, not their level -1.|
Originally Posted by Weatherwoman
AE auto-sk's lowbies up to the *ideal maximum exp* level. This is going to auto sk to 1 level below the mission holder, not 5 levels below.
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Posi:
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| With this system, everyone in the team will find themselves automatically level adjusted to the level of the owner of the Mission that is currently selected. |
Oooh, I can actually post in response to a Dev post now, even though we never had that ability before!
I for one am loving the sound of super-sidekicking as it will mean that TF/SF's will be easier to find teams for... and if you earn XP whilst Ex'd down, then what can I say? Where do I sign up for it??
When you said that you're looking into a fix for the losing of powers... am I reading it wrong, or do you mean that say if you fix it... a level 50 can undertake Positron's TF with ALL of their powers, but scaled down to the examplared level? Because if that's indeed the case, I'll happily run that TF from there on!
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There should be a competition or race...
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Originally Posted by Umber_NA
Cool, eagerly awaiting the youtube video of someone running a L1 hero to the Storm Palace
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I see. Thanks for the explanation.|
Originally Posted by Weatherwoman
AE auto-sk's lowbies up to the *ideal maximum exp* level. This is going to auto sk to 1 level below the mission holder, not 5 levels below.
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So by the sound of it, this will cut AE PLing as well, as it will probably override the AE SK rules and SK to 1 level below, not 5 below.
"The Hamidon is a what what of what?" - Brian the mission guy.
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AE was a PL dream because it leveled people up to the mission minimum, but most of the foes were far above that. So a lvl 45 minimum mission loaded with level 51 or 52 foes was an xp bonanza. Now the team members will be auto SKd to 49. The leader could still bump the foes to 54 under the new difficulty system, but that would make the killing much harder and slower for them.|
Originally Posted by Leese
Maybe I'm missing something here... I don't farm or PL, so I'm not completely familiar with the mechanics, but the impression I had was that part of the reason (discounting exploits) why AE was a PLers dream was because it auto-SKd lowbies up to the required level. You're planning on doing this to the entire game?
I hope I have the wrong impression, as I love the sound of it otherwise. Removing the last of the restrictions around teaming is going to be a HUGE help. I just hope it can't lead to another AE-sized mess. |
The team would be more likely to have to help, instead of just stand there, and thus more likely to be actually earning their xps.
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In short, it requires less 50s to PL, but the progress on each of them is slower. So you could probably earn XP for the one SK you were PLing before equal to about three or four of the seven you can PL now. |
Originally Posted by Lady_Sadako
So one L50 SKing 7 level 1s to L50 and running around a map defeating things to level them up is easier than what we have now? Sounds to me like it would be far, far slower.
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Maybe in the end you will earn more overall XP, but the individuals will still be levelling slower.
Really, this eliminates the choice to say, "I'm only three levels below the baddies here, I can limp along and get really great XP". Now you're forced to SK whether you would get better XP if you didn't or not.
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Also awsome for those of us that want the tsalorian weapons!
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Originally Posted by Leandro_NA
With the Rikti War Zone being open to low level people, will you consider making Levantera's first arc available from level 1 as well, so lowbies can get Member of Vanguard and unlock the Vanguard costume pieces early?
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If you are Sidekicked up in this mission, you are still -1 level from the mission owner.
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Originally Posted by Lady_Sadako
Looks like it's going to auto SK to mission holder's actual level, not their level -1.
Posi: |
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If they are killing off powerleveling, that means this game is financially secure for the forseeable future and we can all stay awhile longer.
I have to say that I am shocked to see that Exemplaring will earn XP as well, however, I'll try not to faint over all of this good news. Thanks for the info, Posi.
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Devs, you have outdone yourselves. Well done and I shall shelf all my nagging for a few weeks.
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Thats NOT A FARM. That is JUST POWER LEVELING. |
Originally Posted by CharybdisClan
I just have to say this part....
HAHAHA! No more bridging! <haven't read the entire thread so sorry if this has been asked> Is this to include the AE Farms where somebody is auto-promoted to lvl 45, one or two members are 50 and the other 6 the 45s, and all the mobs are 54? SO happy about this one. I thought it couldn't be done.... thought the farms couldn't be stopped. But I was wrong. Also, e-mail changes-- superb. Bye bye RMT spammers! <uber excited about this issue now> |
For a Farmer, who is always SOLO... They dont care. Because we just want to make our team size 6 WITHOUT BOTHERING anyone.
I am so happy.
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In general, a great announcement. But I'd like to put in my voice that it should be (or at least have the option for) based on Global Friends. |
Originally Posted by Positron
Current implementation on Training Room is "character" friends list.
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Character friends list seems to be a bit of an archaic throwback; I don't think I even *have* any on any of my characters. Either I, the human player, am a friend of the person on the other end of the global, or I'm not. If I am, it shouldn't matter in the slightest what character, server, faction, instance, superteam, or hairstyle they or I are currently playing as far as communications are concerned.
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Thanks for the clarification |
Originally Posted by Positron
If you are Sidekicked up in this mission, you are still -1 level from the mission owner.
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Hmm, why is un-auto-Exing so clunky? Why do you have to quit the team? Why not just use the existing UI element of the UnEx button in the team window? That sounds much simpler to me. You click it, you're your natural level again. Click it again, now that it says "Exem," you're exemplared to the team leader again. Much less clunky.
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So, how is this helpful to folks who aren't into powerlevelling? Who want to enjoy the game content because it's... oh... game content?
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Originally Posted by Positron
The second feature is what we have come to call Super-Sidekicking but actually applies to all types of Sidekicking: Exemplaring, Lackeying, and Malefactoring as well. With this system, everyone in the team will find themselves automatically level adjusted to the level of the owner of the Mission that is currently selected. If there is no mission that is currently active, then the level is set to the leader of the Team. (etc., so forth)
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The super-sidekicking stuff concerns me a bit, but I have faith that they'll do it right and it'll be a plus. So far it sounds like they're doing it really well, but we'll have to see. One thing I'm confused about is mega-SK-ing. Doesn't this mean you could get one lvl 46 person and 7 level 10s, jump the diff to be fighting +4s and wind up with the same effect as bridging 7 people at once? Of course the risks would be huge, but with the right lvl 46 tank it should be pretty massive.
The email changes, however, are total WIN! I hope you devs know how happy you just made me!
Nevermind... I didn't realize this was so long and thought that I had already read everything. This had been answered. Darn thread is building too fast.
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
...I have the patience of a coffee-fueled flea...
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The players that follow you to the test server during a live server event are not a good representation of the entire playerbase. I'm glad you're doing datamining in addition to listening to the vocal minority. Keep up the good work.|
Originally Posted by Positron
Before we went and removed this playstyle completely from City of Heroes we wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing. We did extensive datamines to see how many accounts were actually participating in a bridge team, and were surprised to see just how low of a percentage it actually was. This may be a case where it is possible that the advertising in /broadcasts for bridge teams actually made the practice seem more pervasive than it really was.
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Jer
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Actually, by what you said here, it will be close to the same. I've been in a few missions like this, and it puts everyone at 49-50 as it stands now -- and we fight 52-54s.|
Originally Posted by Lemur_Lad
AE was a PL dream because it leveled people up to the mission minimum, but most of the foes were far above that. So a lvl 45 minimum mission loaded with level 51 or 52 foes was an xp bonanza. Now the team members will be auto SKd to 49. The leader could still bump the foes to 54 under the new difficulty system, but that would make the killing much harder and slower for them.
The team would be more likely to have to help, instead of just stand there, and thus more likely to be actually earning their xps. |
Requires a team effort, so I doubt the devs have too much of a problem with the 'Boss farms' (I think I've been on more failed 'Boss Farms' than successful ones -- it requires a good team)
These changes seem like they took what they learned from AE and applied to to the rest of the game.
Positron: How does this effect AE?
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...iiiiinteresting, indeed.|
Originally Posted by Positron
Yup, but the requirements still exist on the Hamidon zones and the PVP zones.
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You may proceed.
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Originally Posted by Lady_Sadako
Looks like it's going to auto SK to mission holder's actual level, not their level -1.
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Actually, I beg to differ.
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Originally Posted by Positron
If you are below the level you are getting set to, you are automatically sidekicked up to one level below the owners level, just as if you had sidekicked to them. If you are above the level, then you will be lowered to the level of the owner, just as if you exemplared down.
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/t @Flame Enchantress, /em sends tell
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also, sometimes you get an annoying mish youre tryin to finish real quick and grab a lvl 50 to finish it for you. it sounds like this new super sk feature gets rid of that. any luck on more auto complete mishs to make up for it? theres times when you just need to finish a mish fast, like when its the midnighters arch and u have one mish to go and just want to blow through it with a lvl 50 so u can do the ITF (happened to alot of friends with alts that are rushin to finish up to get access to chimera).
unsure if this new system allows u early passage to chimera too without having to complete the midnighters arch.